Cross My Heart And Hope To
by My one true love
Summary: Dante is just about to arrest Sonny when he finds out that he is his father Lulu tries to help him while Maxie get back on track after Spinelli’s death with the help of Matt. Elsewhere Anthony vows vengeance so no one is safe and lives are changed.


**AN: Hello readers! So this is my first General Hospital story (woo hoo!) so that's my warning. I want to thank my beta Katie (MissLovelyEagle9) for her help with polishing the chapter. And please review!! It lets me know people actually are reading. **

**Also I just so everyone knows the main couples in the story will be Dante/Lulu, Maxie/Matt & Kristina/Michael. There will be Jason/Sam, Sonny/Claudia and Carly/Jax at least but their story isn't what I'm writing this time around. Thanks again for reading!!  
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"_Sonny is Dante's father."_

The words replayed over and over in his head, a feeling of despair and bitterness coursing through him. How could his mother have kept this from him? He'd finally collected enough evidence to take down Sonny and he finds out that the monster was his father. How could he do his job now?

"Dominic?" A soft knock sounded at the door before slowly opening, revealing the most important person in his life now – Lulu Spencer. Yet another thing that should never have happened, but this assignment had been full of things that never should have happened.

He looked up, knowing that the anguish was clear on his face. He couldn't hide it, especially not from her. Not that he wanted to keep it from her, maybe she would understand. Upon seeing his face Lulu quickly shut the door, sliding to the floor to kneel between his legs. "Dominic, what's wrong?"

He just shook his head, his thoughts speeding through his head. "Not Dominic." The words caught in his throat as he watched the confusion pass through her eyes while tears filled his own. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't keep lying. "I've been lying to you, Lulu. To you and everyone else, but I'm most sorry for lying to you."

Lulu took his face in her hands, dread filling her. "What are you talking about?"

"The badge that you found?" He waited until she nodded before continuing. "It is mine. My name isn't Dominic Pirelli, its Dante Falconeri. I'm –"

"An undercover cop..." Lulu shook her head, leaning back on her heels. It was almost too much for her to take in. He'd lied to her. The confusion showed on her face as she tried to figure out which emotion was the strongest – the betrayal or the curiosity. "It makes sense." She shrugged, struggling to keep up with her racing thoughts. "Olivia Falconeri? Is she your-"

"Mother. She's my mother. Your boss? My aunt."

"I can't believe this." Lulu stood, pacing the room. "Why are you telling me this now?"

Dante put his face in his hands. "I told you, I can't keep lying to you."

"It's more than that." She leaned against the dresser, her eyes on his as he looked up at her. "You can't con a con."

"I don't know what you want from me…"

"Simple – the truth. That's what this is about, right? You telling the truth? Well then tell me the truth."

Now it was his turn to pace. Where did he start? What part of the story did he tell her? Did he tell her about his discovery from today? The secret that his mother had been keeping from him for his entire life. Luckily Lulu just sat there, patiently waiting for him to speak.

Finally he did speak, after calming his flurry of thoughts. "I came to town to take down the Corinthos/Zacchara organization. I was trying to get enough evidence from the inside to send them all to jail." He shook his head as his thoughts threatened to overwhelm him again. "But today after I'd gotten the last of the evidence that I needed, I went to warn Mom and overheard her say- she said…"

Lulu went to him, taking his hand into hers. It forced him to stop pacing and to look her in the eye. "What did she say Dom –" Lulu balked at the assumed name. She tried again, "Dante, I mean – what did she say?"

His face was neutral as he spoke, but the crack in his voice gave him away as he spoke, "Sonny is my father." Anger flashed across his face for a moment before he turned away from Lulu, trying to hide the emotion that radiated from him.

The shock was apparent on Lulu's face as she tried to keep from gaping at him, her mind once again racing. That was definitely not what she had been expecting and if it was shocking to her she couldn't imagine what Dante was feeling. "Sonny Corinthos, the man you've been working to take down…is your father?"

Dante shrugged, wanting to deny the words. How could Sonny be his father? He slid onto the bed feeling like his entire world was crumbling around him. Lulu sat beside him, taking him into her arms. She didn't know what to do for him besides hold him. It was the best that she knew to do.

**

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"Where the hell is Dominic?" Sonny slammed the glass he held onto the desk. "He should've been here an hour ago."

Jason shrugged. "He's not answering his phone. Do you want me to go by his room?"

"There's not time. Call Johnny and have him meet you at the warehouse."

As Jason headed for the door he was already pulling out his phone, dialing Johnny's number. Sonny shook his head as he looked at his wife lounging on the couch. "You've got something to say?"

Claudia just shook her head. "No, not a thing."

"Well that would be a first. Why don't you just say it?"

"I've told you from the beginning not to trust Dominic." She stood up slowly, her hands automatically going to her enlarged stomach.

Sonny shook his head, taking Claudia's hand as she stepped closer to him. She brought their intertwined hands to her stomach as they shared a look of appreciation for the life growing inside of her. "We don't know what something is off with _him_. What if your father went after him again?

"And what if he's betrayed you? What then?" Claudia pulled away, looking out the window. "It's not just you that you have to worry about you know."

Sonny moved behind her, whispering in her ear, "You think that I could forget about my children? Or you, my wife, the woman who is carrying my children?"

Claudia leaned back against him slightly. "I just want you to remember that you have two babies on that way who need you." She turned to face him, her hand coming to his cheek. "_I_ need you."

His eyes held hers for a moment before he stepped back, breaking the connection that she'd thought that they'd had going. And just like that the moment was over. "I have work to do."

Claudia nodded, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. "Fine, I think I'll just go sit outside for a bit." She quickly turned, determined not to let him see how much his actions hurt her.

"Wait." His voice stopped her, but she didn't turn towards him. "Why don't we go out to dinner tonight?"

She turned to face him now, a small smile on her lips. "I'd like that." She paused. "Why don't we invite the boys and Kristina?"

"That's a great idea. I'll call them." He paused, his eyes meeting hers for a split second. "Thanks Claudia, I'll talk to you in a bit."

Claudia turned again, stepping outside onto the porch. She sat on a chair, looking out over the property. As she leaned back her hands once again went to her stomach. All of those months ago when they'd actively started to try and conceive she'd never have even dared to guess that she'd be pregnant with twins. Only three more months and they'd have not only a baby boy, but a baby girl. Two new babies for her to love, who would need her. Two people that would be completely dependent on her.

She sighed as she closed her eyes, a smile on her face as she felt the tiny movements against her hands. What a miracle she held in her body – a miracle that she hadn't been sure she'd be able to handle again. This was her life now – a mother – and she hoped that she'd do her babies justice, and that she'd be able to give them everything that they deserved.

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Lulu sighed as she put her key into the lock on the door of the apartment that she shared with Maxie. It had been a long and tiring night of comforting Dante. Dante, the man that she'd known as Dominic until today, who she had begun to fall for and it turned out he'd been lying to her. What a surprise, a man who lied. She still wasn't sure how she felt about it – or even him.

"Get out!" Maxie's voice carried through the apartment to the now open door.

"Damn it Maxie." Matt ducked as came into the living room as a shoe flew through the air just where his head had been moments before. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Oh, really? By jamming your tongue down my throat? You've got to be kidding me." Maxie stalked out, the other shoe in her hand.

"I told you that I was sorry. It's not like I came over here with the sole purpose of kissing you – or even the intent to kiss you." Matt turned, noticing Lulu in the doorway. "Lulu, thank God. Can you please talk some sense into her?"

Lulu just held up her hands. "Hey, I'm staying out of this."

Matt ducked as the other shoe narrowly missed him again. "I told you to get out. Just get out!" The anger slid from her as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"Well damn it." Matt took a step towards her, only to be stopped by a lift of her shaking hand. "Fine I'll just go." He headed for the door, his eyes meeting Lulu's for a second. The only thing that she could read in his eyes was pain, but pain for what? Or should she say whom?

Once the door shut soundly behind Matt, Lulu went directly to Maxie, wrapping her arms around her friend. "What's wrong?"

Maxie pulled away, wiping the tears from her face. "I don't know…Matt come over to hang out, keep me company. Then he kissed me. He kissed me!"

"I kind of figured that part out." Lulu laughed. "But I don't think that's why you're so upset."

"You don't understand Lulu. He kissed me, but I _wanted_ him to kiss me. Oh God, how could I betray Spinelli like that?" She brought her hands to her face as her body shook with sobs.

"Oh Maxie." Lulu took the other girl's shaking body into her arms once again. "You're not betraying him. He'd want you to move on." She continued to comfort Maxie as her mind wandered back to a time not so long ago, just weeks after the wedding where they'd happily decided to not get married. When they'd thought that they'd have a lifetime together.

It had happened less than a month after the wedding; Spinelli had been driving home from a visit to his grandmother. Maxie hadn't been able to join him as they had a deadline at work and that was something that would haunt her for months following the accident. A hit and run driver had forced him off a cliff. There had been too much internal damage for him to be saved. It had broken so many people's lives and hearts, but no one more than Maxie. Lulu still remembered the last moments of his life.

"_Maximista, you have to promise –" Spinelli broke off, gasping for breath. "Promise that you'll move on. You must find someone else to love, someone to make you happy."_

"_Never!" The tears flowed down her cheeks, unchecked in her grief. "You can't leave me Spinelli. You're my essential person, the only good thing in my life. If you leave me I don't know what will happen – what I will do."_

_Spinelli just shook his head. "Do you think that I would leave you if I had any say in the matter?" He looked over her should to where Lulu stood. "The Original Blonde One – you have to help her. Make sure that she makes it though this. She can't do it on her own." He struggled with the words, the pain apparent on his face._

"_Stone Cold, please don't shut everyone out. Especially not Fair Samantha." He paused, gasping from the pain. "Not when you've just found one another again. I know that you love her and she obviously loves you."_

_Jason fidgeted from his spot near the wall, his facing not revealing how uncomfortable he was not only with Spinelli's words but also with the situation. The only indication that he wasn't the cold person that he'd been accused of were his red rimmed eyes._

_He leaned back against the pillows, his eyes closing. "I love you, Maximista," his words were now a mere whisper. "Please don't grieve me too much. Live your life, don't stop living." He squeezed Maxie's hand for a moment before it went limp in her hand._

_Those were the last words that he spoke, unselfish till the end. They'd sat with him as he'd taken his last ragged breath. Maxie had lost herself in sobs, tears had run down Lulu's cheek and even Jason's eyes had filled with tears – though they had not spilled over._

"Maxie," Lulu spoke softly as she pulled back from the other girl, "you do remember what Spinelli said to you right?"

Maxie sniffled, not meeting Lulu's eyes. "Ummm…to live?"

"You know that there more to it than that. He wanted you to find love again. How can you find love if you're not willing to take a chance?"

"Take a chance?" Her tone was bitter as she turned her blazing eyes onto Lulu. "Why should I take a chance? So that they can die on me too? I don't think that I should bother. Dating me means that they're going to end up dead – pretty much makes me a murderer, right?" She gave a short angry laugh. "Forget it Lulu, just forget it."

Maxie turned on her heel, stalking off to her room and slamming the door behind her. Lulu flinched at the noise as she dropped onto the couch, despair rushing through her as the tears began to fall. She didn't know how to help Maxie or Dante. She didn't even know how to help herself.


End file.
